Kargil Victory Day Celebrations
STORIES, ANALYSES, EXPERT VIEWS
India celebrated Kargil Vijay Diwas (Kargil victory day) on July 26 to commemorate the sacrifices made by soldiers in this war. It was on this day 22 years ago that the Indian Army recaptured all the Indian posts in kargil that had been occupied by Pakistan’s army.
The victory came at a high price. The official death toll on the Indian side was 527, while that on the Pakistani side was between 357 and 453.
The war took place between May and July of 1999 in Jammu and Kashmir's Kargil district. The conflict is believed to have been orchestrated by the then Pakistan army chief General Parvez Musharraf without the knowledge of the then Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
It began with the infiltration of both regular Pakistani troops and terrorists into Indian territory. The infiltrators positioned themselves in key locations that gave them a strategic advantage during the start of the conflict. Based on information from local shepherds, the Indian Army was able to ascertain the points of incursion and launch "Operation Vijay".
India released intercepts of conversations between top Pakistani military officials as proof of the Pakistan Army's involvement in the infiltrations. Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif flew to Washington and asked the United States to intervene. However, the then US President Bill Clinton declined to do so until Pakistani troops withdrew from the Line of Control.
